See it if you want to see a sedate Rocky Horror meets the Brontes meets gothic mystery...you like fierce women or isolation. Very dark. Very funny.
Don't see it if you like linear, clear plots. If you like to be told the answer. Though 1h40m, it dragged in places and is still a little in need of focus.
See it if you're a huge bronte fan, you love female-led pieces
Don't see it if personally I hate when people play animals in plays, so that was a huge turn-off. A few irrelevant pseudo-philosophical tangents
See it if You like offbeat shows
Don't see it if You like musicals
See it if you are patient with a work-in-progress that has potential unfulfilled, fine acting with a weak script, horror-story narrative.
Don't see it if you expect more refined and polished work from this fine company,
See it if You don't mind bad acting, poor production values, unfortunate direction,and a convulted and slly plot.
Don't see it if You value good acting, excellent production effects, good direction, and an interesting plot.
See it if you like original, quirky plays that are both dark and comedic
Don't see it if you prefer plays that go with the grain
See it if you like up-and-coming playwrights, contemporary humor and period dress, and/or have a fondness for Jane Austen, etc.
Don't see it if you can't stand stage fog machines!! Tons of fog. Cough.
See it if you are interested in female dynamics a la Emily Bronte. Not everything worked perfectly in this show, but it was very interesting to see!
Don't see it if You are looking for a safe bet or only have one night to see a show in New York.
"Some will appreciate Silverman's take on depression, loneliness, longing, literary aspiration, and female bonding, not to mention sibling rivalry and murder on the Victorian moors. On the other hand, despite its excellent ensemble—Birgit Huppuch is especially noteworthy—others will, like me, find it an overlong, cerebral exercise lacking in emotional warmth and consistent interest. I'd suggest that less of 'The Moors'—perhaps 20 minutes less—would be a vast improvement."
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“It is this unwillingness of the characters to acknowledge the obvious realities before them that lends ‘The Moors’ its special blend of humor and eeriness…Some parts of the play are not as successful…A story line in which the household’s lonely and existential mastiff meets and falls in love with a moor-hen...expresses some central themes a little too directly...The performances across the board highlight the unearthly wilderness of the moors while still drawing laughs from the audience."
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“The production also gets bogged down by the wide extremes and heady themes it tries to achieve, and the frequent impositions of whimsy and camp…Aided by a talented cast, ‘The Moors’ offers a thoughtful subversion of gender roles, presenting the possibilities of power in a way that challenges and entertains, even if it doesn’t always quite coalesce...Silverman’s play is complicated and messy – but shows why it, too, should be seen.”
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“If you are not familiar with the complete works of the Brontës you may not find this so amusing. I am a huge fan and even that didn’t help me find the macabre humor. The cast is all well suited, with each adding the appropriate tone. The fabulous Ms. Cabell again excels…The direction by Mike Donahue just draws this whole piece out and, in the end, it is the audience who is lost on these moors. This is a smart piece, but needs to be honed and made less frenetic.”
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